Washington, D.C.- The lobbying expenses of the top 13 health insurers and their industry association, America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), were nearly $8.2 million in the third quarter of 2009 to influence Congress on upcoming health care legislation, according to analysis released today by the nonpartisan campaign finance watchdog Public Campaign Action Fund (PCAF). The total marks an 11 percent increase over the pace of their spending in the first half of the year.

"Congress is marching toward pasing landmark legislation to overhaul the health care system and the health insurance industry fighting them every step of the way," said David Donnelly, national campaigns director of Public Campaign Action Fund. "These insurance giants may be running out of time, but clearly they haven't run out of political cash."

According to PCAF analysis, which was based on figures compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics, these top insurers and AHIP have spent $22,957,382 to lobby Congress and the Administration from January through September. AHIP, the insurers' trade association, has spent more than $6 million this year. The analysis reviewed data for the top insurance companies as identified by Fortune magazine's rankings.

Corporation/Association

Lobbying
Q1-Q2 2009

Lobbying
Q3 2009

Total

Aetna Inc.

$1,441,639

$580,743

$2,022,382

AHIP

$3,900,000

$2,410,000

$6,310,000

Amerigroup Corp.

$215,000

$160,000

$385,000

Centene Corp.

$230,000

$130,000

$260,000

Cigna Corp.

$720,000

$260,000

$980,000

Coventry Health Care

$300,000

$150,000

$450,000

Health Net Inc.

$680,000

$330,000

$1,010,000

Healthspring

$90,000

$60,000

$150,000

Humana Inc.

$950,000

$900,000

$1,850,000

Molina Healthcare

$270,000

$140,000

$410,000

UnitedHealth Group

$2,500,000

$1,010,000

$3,510,000

Universal American Financial

$865,000

$895,000

$1,760,000

WellCare Group

$200,000

$70,000

$270,000

Wellpoint

$2,420,000

$1,080,000

$3,500,000

Total

$14,781,639

$8,175,743

$22,957,382

These insurance industries have invested heavily in expensive lobbyists and campaign contributions to make sure their needs are met while the rest of us are stuck with a broken health care system and little way to have our voices heard in Washington," said Donnelly. "It's time to sever the ties between special interest money and our elected officials. It's time to pass the Fair Elections Now Act."